Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Since 2019, Creative Ireland programme of my Department has supported a wide range of festivals in Waterford including Pride of the Déise in 2021 and 2022, Talamh Festival in 2023 and creative workshops at St. Patrick’s Festival in 2024.

Creative Ireland also supports every local authority in Ireland to deliver an engaging programme of initiatives for Cruinniú na nóg, the national day of creativity for children and young people, held annually in June.

Culture Ireland, which also operates under my Department, partners with Spraoi, the Waterford-based circus, spectacle and street arts festival which takes place annually across the August Bank Holiday Weekend. Culture Ireland provides grant support to enable the incoming travel for international programmers and festival directors to Spraoi. This leads to the development of international audiences and opportunities for Irish artists working in this art form.

The Arts Council also provides financial support to a number of festivals. Their Festivals Investment Scheme is specifically designed to offer support to local/voluntary organisations to develop arts festivals.

Fáilte Ireland works closely with all 31 local authorities and provides funding for local festivals and events through its ‘Regional Festivals and Participative Events Programme’, which has been managed by local authorities since 2018.

Finally, my Department runs a Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme which supports local cultural festivals and summer schools which are not in receipt of other central Government monies and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies. Funding available under this scheme is typically capped at €5,000.

Full details of the scheme are available on my Departments website.

The Festivals and Summer Schools 2024 scheme is now open and the closing date for receipt of applications for funding under this Scheme is 1pm on 26th April 2024.

I am also mindful of the tremendous achievements in relation to museum development in Waterford and the acquisition of collections by way of donation in association with my Department as provided for under Section 1003 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997. The annual capacity under this scheme was increased in Budget 2024 from €6m to €8m which will strengthen the support for donations of cultural goods to public collections.